Notes: The Yankees have won three straight, four of five and six of the last eight. … Boston is 4-4 in its last eight.

THEY MEET AGAIN: Pettitte is 16-7, 3.54 in 31 career games against the Red Sox, 185.2 innings. He is 3-2, 5.20 in nine games against the Red Sox since he came back to the Yankees last season. Pettitte has faced Boston twice this season, allowing 14 hits and six earned runs over 10.2 innings.

THEY MEET AGAIN, PART II: Tim Wakefield has pitched in 47 games against the Yankees, 213.2 innings. He is 9-17 with a 5.14 ERA. He is 2-9, 5.97 in his last 14 starts. Wakefield has faced the Yankees twice this season, giving up 12 hits and nine earned runs in 12.2 innings.

This start will be his first since Aug. 6. He was on the DL with a shoulder injury.

WHO’S HOT: Abreu is 8 of 13. … Cano is 7 of 13. … Nady has hit in seven straight. … The bullpen has allowed two runs in the last 12.2 innings.

WHO’S NOT: Jeter is 3 of 18. … A-Rod has one RBI in the last six games.

WHAT A CONCEPT: The Yankees have played pretry much the same lineup for the last seven games. They have gone .312/.365/.538 and averaged 6.6 runs.

GOOD NEWS: Carl Yastrzemski was released from the hospital today.

Back later with plenty of updates.

UPDATE, 4:34 p.m.: Joba Chamberlain said he will be throwing 45 pitches in the bullpen on Thursday. He said he feels good and is anxious to pitch.

Joe Girardi became contentious when asked about Joba’s status. He continues to claim that there is no rehab plan in place. If that’s the case, the Yankees are breaking new ground medically.

Meanwhile, Chien-Ming Wang is walking around without his boot on. He still has to wear it outside, however. Wang said his foot still feels weak. Obviously he is done for the season.

UPDATE, 5:59 p.m.: Cashman said the Yankees would add players to the roster on Monday but they have not yet decided on who. Count on a catcher and a few pitchers at first. Scranton and Trenton are in the playoffs but the priority is strengthening the Yankees, obviously.

Cashman also shot down a rumor that the Yankees have signed some notable five-tool player from Venezuela. He said the only international signing they were working on was a “small one” in the Dominican.

UPDATE, 6:44 p.m.: J.D. Drew on the DL to make room for Wakefield.

UPDATE, 7:26 p.m.: The Yankees aren’t too pleased with umpire Jim Reynolds so far. He squeezed Andy in the top of the inning then rang up A-Rod in the bottom.

With the bottom of that order Boston is running out there, the Yankees need to take advantage. Lowrie, Crisp, Bailey and Cash aren’t exactly mashers.

UPDATE, 7:48 p.m.: Good sign for the Yankees that Matsui was able to score from second on a single.

Then Pettitte gives the lead up again. He has not pitched well against Boston this season.

UPDATE, 8:00 p.m.: A-Rod and Jeter, 0 for 4 and no balls out of the infield.

Meanwhile, Pettitte enters the fourth inning having allowed nine earned runs in 13.2 innings against the Red Sox this season.

UPDATE, 8:07 p.m.: Pettitte and Molina seem to be having some pitch selection issues. Girardi went out to the mound to talk to Pettitte and there was for a while.

UPDATE, 8:28 p.m.: That’s twice now in this game that Pettitte got two outs and then allowed three singles in a row.

UPDATE, 8:29 p.m.: That’s it for Pettitte. He has allowed six runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings and Boston has a runner on first.

Embarrassing play by Giambi there as two runners score on an infield hit.

Amazing that the Yankees could go down 6-2 against Wakefield and with Boston fielding a patchwork lineup. It doesn’t speak well of the Yankees coming ready to play.

They have five innings to try and get it right. Losing the first game of this series and having Ponson on the mound tomorrow is not a recipe for success.

UPDATE, 8:36 p.m.: At least Johnny Damon showed up.

UPDATE, 8:40 p.m.: A-Rod said last week that the Yankees had to treat every game like it was the playoffs. That would explain his one RBI in the last seven games.

The crowd is letting him have it, too. 0 for 3, Stikeout, 5-4-3 and a pop-up.

UPDATE, 8:45 p.m.: The Yankees can’t get it right off the field either. The countdown lever was pulled tonight by Lou Lamoriello, the GM of the NHL’s Devils. Last series against the Red Sox and they get somebody from a hockey team?

Would it be too much to ask them to get a series of former players who have some connection to the number on the board that day? Or somebody who played a significant game against the Red Sox? Or at least somebody the people in the Stadium would remember?

Meanwhile, the Yankees had nobody on hand on sing the National Anthem and I’m sure God Bless America will be the old scratchy Kate Smith recording. Why hasn’t anything been done to make these final games special?

UPDATE, 9:33 p.m.: Bases loaded, one out for A-Rod, Yankees down by three.

I have no idea what to think. It could be anything. 6-4-3 or a grand slam.

UPDATE, 9:38 p.m.: 6-3 DP. Four at-bats, six outs.

Hey, it’s not like they’re committed to this guy for nine more years or anything.

UPDATE, 9:41 p.m.: Now people are booing A-Rod for fielding a grounder. The crowd is also leaving like the place is on fire. Yikes.

UPDATE, 10:09 p.m.: 1 for 8 with RISP. The place is half empty now.

UPDATE, 10:25 p.m.: Crisp, Bailey and Cash were 7 for 13 with a walk, three RBI and two rusn scored. Rodriguez and Giambi were 0 for 8.

A-Rod could get up again.

UPDATE, 10:28 p.m.: He did – and whiffed to end the game as the crowd booed.